McDonald’s to Cut U.S. Stores for First Time in Decades

By The Associated Press

June 18, 2015

For the first time in more than 40 years, McDonald’s said the number of United States restaurants it has is shrinking. The company said it planned to close more restaurants in the United States than it opens this year. That hasn’t happened since at least 1970, according to an Associated Press review of McDonald’s regulatory filings. Becca Hary, a McDonald’s spokeswoman, declined to provide a specific figure, but said the reduction would be “minimal” compared with its total of about 14,300 United States locations. Still, the contraction is symbolic of the burger company’s troubles. Chains like Chipotle that market themselves as serving better food and ingredients have chipped away at McDonald’s dominance. The United States store closings will be a mix of franchised and company-owned locations, Ms. Hary said. She noted that the closings were part of a strategic review intended to set the stage for future growth. Even though it is closing locations, McDonald’s still has more than twice as many restaurants as the No. 2 chain Burger King, according to the industry tracker Technomic.